NCW has not visited Manipur; is Udupi case of that magnitude, asks Home Minister G Parameshwara
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday appeared to question the need for a visit of the National Commission for Women member Khushbu Sundar to Udupi to inquire into alleged "washroom filming case" at a paramedical college at a time when the NCW has "not gone" to Manipur, where two women were molested and paraded naked recently.
"Is this incident in Udupi of that magnitude," he asked while talking to reporters here.
"Let them come, I don't say -- who has to come, who has to see -- all that. Manipur incident...I don't know what to call it, and there the commission has not gone. Is this incident in Udupi of that magnitude?" Parameshwara said in response to a question regarding the NCW's visit.
"I don't say -- you don't come. Why should you come -- I don't say that. I'm not the person to say that. Let them come, but you should also say what you found. Was there any video of this incident or anything?"
NCW member Sundar arrived in Udupi on Wednesday evening to enquire into the alleged filming of a girl on a mobile phone by other female students in the washroom of a paramedical college in the city.
The Manipur incident to which Parameshwara was referring to is regarding the video showing two women being paraded naked and molested by a group of men on May 4 in Kangpokpi district that surfaced on July 19 and was condemned countrywide.
Responding to a question on the delay in filing FIR in connection with the Udupi college case, the minister said, "Police were waiting for someone to give the complaint. Naturally they did not want to take it to that level. Now suo motu they had to do it, because there was so much attraction this (issue) had created."
Parameshwara had on Wednesday dubbed the filming of a girl student in the restroom by fellow female students in a Udupi college as "a small incident blown out of proportion".
Clarifying his "a small issue" remark, he said the intention was not to neglect the case, but what he meant was that the issue should have been left to the college principal to handle, who after analysing the details would have escalated to the parents and police, rather than outsiders giving different twists to the issue.
"I and you have studied in colleges and stayed in hostels, and there would have been certain incidents between friends and it would have been left there itself and not escalated. I had said this too might be of a similar nature," he said. The issue should have been left to the college principal, who has already suspended the students.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
If asked for commission, contractors should approach Lokayukta: DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday suggested that if anyone has demanded commission from contractors to pay their bills, then they should file a complaint with Lokayukta.
His reaction comes a day after the Karnataka State Contractors Association (KSCA) alleged that the menace of commission was now more severe than the previous BJP government.
They claimed that "unseen hands and brokers" were active in the offices of Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar and two other senior Cabinet Ministers.
Responding to these allegations, Shivakumar denied involvement of ministers and said, "If anyone has asked for commission from contractors to pay bills, they should file a complaint with the Lokayukta. Our ministers Satish Jarkiholi and Boseraju are not involved in this."
Interacting with to reporters in vidhana soudha, Deputy CM said, If contractors are asked for commission, they should file a complaint with the Lokayukta. Shivakumar questioned as to why should contractors ask the minister regarding bill payment? "Are they (contractors) not aware of the department's budget? How did they take up the contract when there is no grant?"
"During the BJP tenure, contracts worth more than Rs 1 lakh crore were awarded by my department alone. MLAs are requesting for payment of these contract bills," he said.
He stated that during the BJP government, they had warned the contractors a year in advance before the assembly elections.
"We warned them not to take up any work without funds. However, without listening to us, they are now issuing letters of request for payment of bills through political leaders," he added.
On Thursday, KSCA president R Manjunath said "brokers" were active in Shivakumar's office and he also alleged interference by one relative of Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi in the affairs concerning his department.
He further claimed that Minor Irrigation Minister NS Boseraju's son (Ravi Boseraju) "makes all the deals".
While Shivakumar asked the contractors to lodge a complaint in writing, Boseraju and Jarkiholi have denied the allegations.
_vb_67.jpeg)
